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Beginner questions are not a "huge problem" for StackOverflow. They are the main reason SO got big at all. During what I would call its "peak", the joke going around was that the best documentation for any software is its SO tag. SO responded to this by creating a whole site feature around it, and many software publishers (including one of the largest of all time) officially use it as a user help channel.

I think the real problem is that self-styled experts begin to grow an ego in proportion to their rep score and mod privileges, and take it upon themselves to teach a lesson to impertinent newbies who dare to ask a question that is too simple and bores them.

I think the solution is for mods and active long-time users to get a reality check. The users are not here for your entertainment and amusement. They're asking questions because they're confused and want help. The system fundamentally works because it's fun to answer questions, but the users are not competing to please you, the "expert", with the most exquisite question where you can showcase your arcane expertise.

* If the question is too simple for you, ignore it and move on.
* If there's an *objective* problem (not just "how can you ask something so obvious!!!") then leave a comment explaining how it should be improved
* If it's already been asked before, link to the answer.
* If it's something that official docs answer, leave an answer quoting and linking to the relevant section of the docs.

For experts who tire of suffering the ignorant, unwashed masses, and crave the rarefied company of great minds only, perhaps a good solution is to find big-brain tags that are beyond the ken of harebrained noobs, favorite those tags, and browse exclusively them.